INDIANAPOLIS – In spite of a 2-2 week, Carson-Newman softball didn't budge in the second to last Southeast Region Rankings.
The Eagles are in line to make an NCAA regional for a third straight year. This week's batch of region rankings do not include Monday's sweep of Newberry, who checks in in fourth place in this week's rendition.
The Eagles are one of seven South Atlantic Conference teams ranked for the regional. Lincoln Memorial is in line to host one of the regional sites in second. The Railsplitters swept Carson-Newman on March 20.
The Peach Belt's North Georgia sits in first. The Nighthawks have the highest RPI in the region at .596. The Railsplitters are one-thousandth of a percentage point behind that at .595. The Eagles have the region's third-highest RPI at .591.
Also in the region rankings from the league are Newberry (four), Queens (five) and Coker (six). At present standing, the SAC is set up to take five of the eight spots for the regional.
Wingate and Lenoir-Rhyne are on the outside looking in in ninth and 10th, respectively. Conference Carolinas' Erskine and the Peach Belt's Young Harris are the last two teams in, in seventh and eighth, respectively.
The Eagles have played every team that is regionally ranked, with the exception of top-ranked North Georgia and Erskine. The Fleet was on the schedule, but that contest got rained out.
C-N is 10-4 against regionally-ranked teams, 12-4 once the games with Newberry are included. The Eagles' record against regionally-ranked foes is the second best in the region behind Coker's mark of 10-3.
Carson-Newman also has the second best record among teams in the top 10 against teams with records above .500. The Eagles are 15-9, that's second to only North Georgia.
The Eagles can further improve their resume at the SAC tournament. Barring Anderson making the finals, every game the Eagles could play in the tournament will be among regionally-ranked teams.
Carson-Newman begins its defense of a third straight tournament crown Saturday against Queens at 4:30 p.m.
|
SOUTHEAST |
|||
|
1 |
North Georgia |
36-10 |
32-9 |
|
2 |
Lincoln Memorial |
28-12 |
26-12 |
|
3 |
Carson-Newman |
24-9 |
24-9 |
|
4 |
Newberry |
29-13 |
29-13 |
|
5 |
Queens (NC) |
22-12 |
22-12 |
|
6 |
Coker |
29-16 |
29-16 |
|
7 |
Erskine |
31-12 |
31-12 |
|
8 |
Young Harris |
32-16 |
30-16 |
|
9 |
Wingate |
32-16 |
32-16 |
|
10 |
Lenoir-Rhyne |
25-17 |
25-16 |